Shoe-clamp for boot-black stands.



M. M. KANDLE. SHOE CLAMP FOR BOOT BLACK STANDS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 7, 1914.

Patented 3211.5, 1915.

INVENTOR.

W I TNESSES:

A TTORNFV v THE NORRIS PETERS cm PHB'I'WLITHO. WASHINGTON. u C

UNITED srarns arana ornron.

MATTH'IAsM'K ivDLE, orsPRI'N'GrIELn, ivmssaonosnrirsnssieivon 'o'F ONE-HA1 T0 HAR'RYTURNER, or PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

SHOE-CLAMP .roR BOOT-BLACK STANDS.

Application filed March 7, 1914.

To all whom it may concern: ,v

Be it known that I, MATTHIAS M. K-Annnn, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of Springfield, county of Hampden, and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shoe-Clamps for Boot-Black Stands, of wh ch the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in clamps for rigidly holding theshoe of the wearer to its support while it is being blackened. I

At the present time, as far as'I am aware, there is no means for rigidly holding the foot and shoe to its support while it is being blackened, resulting in discomfort to the persons who are having their shoes polished.

The invention, broadly consists of means for automatically clamping the shoe rigidly to a fixed support, said means consisting in general, of a pair of spring actuated clamps that are normally drawn inward toward each other, with means for automatically opening the same when the inner surface of the heel is placed against the end portion of the device in order to move it forward against the tension of the spring, said spring serving, normally, to retract the clamp and automatically engage the opposite sides of the sole of the's'hoe near the instep.

Referring to the drawings forming a part of the invention: Figure 1 is a general plan viewshowing the clamping device in its normally closed position, that is to "say, with the tension of the spring exerted to draw the clamping members toward each other. Fig. 2 is a detailed plan view on an enlarged scale showing the clamping members open, with portions of thedevice omitted for the sake of clearness. Fig. 3 is a side elevational view showing the device in use, the outline of a shoe being shown in place, in dotted lines, and rigidly clamped to its support.

Referring to the drawings in detail: 1 designates the frame of the device on which the forward or sole part of the shoe rests while the device is in use. Depending from the forward part of the frame are supports 2, the lower ends of which are perforated to receive bolts 3. Loosely mounted on these bolts are attaching clamps, indicated at 4, which extend laterally in opposite direc tions and are bent down so as to embrace the Specification of Letters Patent.

frame 1.

Serial No; 823,171.

lower side of the usual fixed support 5, whereby when the nuts 6 are tightened up hold the frame 1 to the support 5. It will.

be notieed that there are two sets of these attaching clamps 4, one set being located at the forward end and the other at the rear end of the frame 1.

7 designates a slidable bar-member lo- .cated longitudinal of the frame 1, and below the upper part thereof, its forward end 8 passing through an opening 9 in the depending member 2. Its rear end is located in a slot 10 of a downwardly extending projection 11 that is made integral with the Located between a shoulder 12 of the bar-member 7 and the downwardly extending part 2 is a coil spring 13 that is normally under tension and which encircles the stem 14 of the slidable bar 7.

15 and 16 designate washers that loosely encircle the stem 14 and serve as abutments for the spring 13. The normal action of the spring 13 is to force the slidable bar-memher 7 rearwardly as shown. Pivotally attached by meansof the pin 17 are two shoe clamping levers 18 and 19, which extend forwardly, as clearly shown in the drawings, and are provided with curved slots 20 and 21 therein. Passing through these slots is a common pin 22 which is located in an overhanging portion 23 of the frame 1. The forwardly extending endsof the levers 18 and 19 are bent upwardly to form attaching ears, as indicated at 24 and are designed to engage and extend over the opposite edges of the sole of the shoe when in clamping operation, as clearly shown in Fig. 3. The rear end of the slidable bar-member 7 is formedwith asharpened edge 25 for the purpose of slightly embedding itself in the forward edge of the heel of the shoe in ordfir to prevent the heel from slipping latera y.

The operation of the device may be described as follows: The user places the forward edge 26 of the heel against the sharpened edge 25 and presses forwardly on the slidable bar-member 7. This movement of the shoe causes the member 7 to move longitudinally, toward the right, as shown, and compress the spring 13. This operation carries the levers 18 and 19 forward with Patented Jan. 5., 1915.

the slidable bar-member 7 to which these levers are attached by means of the pivot pin 17 and causes them to assume a separated position, as shown in Fig. 2, by reason of the curved slots 20 and 21 sliding on the fixed pin 22. The forward ends 24 of the clamps are now positioned below the overhanging portion 28. When the operator has opened the levers 18 and 19 far enough to permit the sole of the shoe to enter the Space between the portions 24 he releases his pushing effort on the slidable bar-member 7. The spring 13 immediately retracts and exerts its strength to close the clamps 24L solidly against the opposite sides of the sole of the shoe. As the frame 1 is rigidly secured to the support 5, the boot or shoe is in turn prevented from lateral and longitudinal movements while it is being blackened and cleaned. To release the clamping action of the portions 24 the user again presses forward on the slidable barmember 7 which causes the levers 18 and 19 to open. The device then assumes the normal position shown in Fig. 1.

WVhat I claim is:

1. In an automatic shoe clamping device for bootblack stands, comprising in combination, a frame member, means for attaching the same to a rigid support, clamping members designed to engage the sole portion of the shoe, a slidable member operatively connected to said shoe-clamping members, means to normally retain the clamping members in a retracted position, and means operable by the foot of the user to open the shoe automatic clamping members prior to the clamping operations.

2. In a shoe clamping device for use in bootblack stands, the combination, of a frame member on which the shoe to be blackened rests, means to engage the shoe, means to cause the engaging means to assume a normally retracted position, and devices operable by the foot of the user to permit the clamping means to be separated prior to the automatic clamping operations, as described.

3. In a shoe clamping device for bootblack stands, the combination, of a shoe support, a slidable member, clamping means designed to engage the opposite sides of the sole of the shoe, and operable from the slidable member by the user, and means for normally retaining the clamping means in retractedposition.

4:. In a shoe clamping device, the combination, of a rearwardly extending movable member designed to be engaged by the heel of the user to operate the same by pressure in a forward direction, shoe-clamping devices operable from said member to open said devices, and means to automatically retain the movable member and shoe clamping devices in a retracted position after the operator has ceased to exert a forward pres sure on the movable member.

5. In a shoe clamping device, the combination, of a shoe support, a pair of clamping levers, for engaging the sides of the sole of the shoe, a pivot to secure their rear ends together, each lever having a curved slot formed therein, said levers being arranged with their slots crossing each other, a pin secured to the slot and passing through both of said crossed slots, a slidable member to which the pivot that secures the rear ends of the levers together is attached, a spring to normally retain the slidable member in a retracted position for maintaining the clamping levers closed, whereby when pressure is applied to the end of the slidable member the crossed slot construction will cause the levers to open, as described, and whereby when the pressure is withdrawn the spring will close the levers to automaticallyclamp the shoe.

6. In a shoe clamping device, means to automatically retain the clamping members in a closed position, means for moving the clamping members to an open position, said means comprising a slidable bar, a pivot thereon to which the rear ends of the clamping members are attached, the clamping members each having a cam slot therein, a fixed pin engaging said slots, whereby upon motion being imparted to the bar the clamping members will be opened, and said automatic means and cam slot construction will return said members to their closed position after the motion imparted to the bar has ceased.

MATTHIAS M. KANDLE. Witnesses:

HARRY W. BOWEN, EDITH M. POTTER.

cepiel of this patent may be obtained for five cents each. by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, I). O. 

